Network TV requires broad appeal to get sufficient ratings. Sci-fi tends to be a niche product. So, while it can sometimes do well on cable, it struggles on the big four stations.
Last week on Big Bang Theory, Sheldon was still complaining about how unfair the cancellation of Firefly was. I think there is pleasure in this for normal people, being the underdog.
Network ratings are dropping. SF/F shows are becoming more and more viable on the big four. As I posted earlier, four of the five top premieres for new drama shows on the networks so far this season are SF/F shows.
<<Last week on Big Bang Theory, Sheldon was still complaining about how unfair the cancellation of Firefly was. I think there is pleasure in this for normal people, being the underdog. >> Normal people don't have the slightest clue what Firefly is
More normal than Sheldon, less normal than the demographic adhered to this weeks ground breaking episode of Greys Anatomy. (There's like a 2 percent chance that Obama is going to be on Greys Anatomy this year... However? Even with the reuse of Actors, the Vice president being a dead ringer for Meredith's mother for instance, this could be an ideal point to cross over Scandal with Grey's Anatomy.)
Do a lot of people watch shows more than once ? I don't feel an urge to watch things for a second time, with the possible exception of the occasional rerun of Trek episodes that I haven't seen for 20-30 years...
The majority of TV i.e 90% is rubbish. However the 10% I don't think is rubbish might be different than someone else. As with anything it comes down to money, Now whilst not always the case Si-Fi/Fantasy is more expenisve or percieved to be more expensive to produce which means it has to make more to turn a profit. Even on this side of the pond a Sci-Fi show being a ratings winner is an exception. Sci-Fi/Fantasy can have another hurdle to overcome the audiances perception of a Sci-Fi show, if they've seen a few bad ones it can negatively impact their perceptions.
Don't forget Teen Wolf, Bates Motel, Vikings, American Horror Story, Lost Girl, Once Upon a Time, etc. (I wish I could cite Bitten as well, but, alas, it's really not very good.)
On balance I agree with Mr. Cox. However, there are times when intellect and the ability to tap and actively flow with our imagination (inner child?) DOES impact enjoyment/understanding of SF/Fantasy IMO
I've either bailed or just plain not watched all of those too. I really want a proper space based show to come along. I'm hoping Incursion gets made.
I tried watching these shows too, but I couldn't really get into any of them. Out of the above listed shows, I have only regularly watched Continuum. (Season 2 of Continuum was great. Season 1 I thought was kinda mediocre and boring, except for the pilot and final episodes). Out of the above list of shows, occasionally I might watch a random episode of Lost Girl and Blacklist. Though none of the other shows.
Then again, maybe it says something that even we don't consume everything that's available to us. I loved how Stargate Universe presented a really alien and scary cosmos. Whereas an SG-1 or Atlantis fan might have said "Where are the likable characters?" or whatever.
Well, I was mostly supporting the argument that there's more on TV than just "cop/lawyer/doctor" shows. You've got plenty of more original, offbeat shows on TV. And Bates is horror and Vikings includes more than a touch of Norse mythology and flirts with fantasy elements at times . . ..
I found season 1 of SGU to be this, which is what I really liked about season 1. Not so much in season 2. (Or it didn't really do it as well).
Oh, yeah, we've hit the point where there's honestly more genre shows than any one person can watch. I've had to give up on Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Arrow, and Face/Off just because they're aren't enough hours in the day. And I've still never seen Persons of Interest, Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, Helix, The Tomorrow People, Beauty and the Beast, The Tomorrow People, The Star-Crossed, and god knows what else . ..
The 2013/2014 season through this summer will see about 50 SF/F shows air. That's an incredible number and a new high for SF/F on television. Meanwhile, after a string of lousy premieres by non-SF/F shows, ABC got the strong premiere they were hoping for with Resurrection. From Deadline: It might fade, as a lot of shows do, but again an SF/F show has scored one of the strongest premieres of the season.
1. (More) Caffeine. Add a couple hours to your day. Although it will also change your personality and change how you write. That does seem inadvisable. 2. Put the DVD of series one of what ever into the machine, play at X4 speed, and turn the subtitles on. You might lose a lot of atmosphere, but it does mean that you can watch a 60 minute show ( meat + 20 minutes of ads that are not there.) in 10 minutes, which is a season in two hours for your boutique programming. Once you get the hang of this, try watching season two at X8 speed.